the Learning Curve Guide - The National Archives

[pic] Contents |Welcome to the Teacher's Booklet |4 |
|1. Welcome to the Learning Curve |5 |
|1.1 What is the Learning Curve? |5 |
|1.2 The Learning Curve: Introduction and aims |6 |
|1.2a Sources |7 |
|1.2b Archival expertise |10 |
|1.2c Educational expertise |13 |
|1.2d Cutting edge technology |15 |
|2. What's in the Learning Curve? |18 |
|2.1a What are the Exhibitions and what's the thinking behind them? |19 |
|2.1b The Exhibitions in the curriculum |24 |
|2.2 a What lessons are on the site and what's the thinking behind them?|32 |
|2.2b The lessons in the curriculum |36 |
|2.3a What are the Focus On ... sections and what's the thinking behind |56 |
|them? | |
|2.3b The Focus On ...sections in the curriculum |57 |
|3. Learning with the Learning Curve |62 |
|3.1 Learning Curve Action Plans - History |63 |
|3.1a Action Plan 1: Using the Royal Seal lesson |64 |
|3.1b Action plan 2: School Dinners |66 |
|3.1c Action plan: Focus On...Cartoons |70 |
|3.1d Action plan 4: Web Worksheet - Women's Rights and Victorian Fun |73 |
|3.1e Action plan 5: Group task - Liberal Welfare Reforms |76 |
|3.1f Action plan 6: The Crime and Punishment Exhibition |79 |
|3.1g Action plan 7: The Great War Exhibition - Whiteboard and Video |81 |
|3.1h Action plan 8: Using the Learning Curve for Professional |83 |
|Development | |
|3.2 Learning Curve Action Plans - ICT |85 |
|3.2a Action plan 9: Homes and cemeteries - data handling and creative |87 |
|thinking | |
|3.2b Action plan 10: Multimedia authoring |88 |
|4. Techniques, Tools and Technology |89 |
|4.1 The Learning Curve in different classroom situations |90 |
|4.1a The Learning Curve and the interactive whiteboard |93 |
|4.2 Using generic software to help students learn |95 |
|4.2a Copy text and visual sources into your own documents and |97 |
|presentations | |
|4.2b Build links from your own presentations to particular sources or |98 |
|pages in the Learning Curve | |
|4.2c Using the word processor to help students tackle a difficult |99 |
|source | |
|4.2d Using the word processor to examine the issue of historical |102 |
|interpretations | |
|4.2e Using the word processor to help students write up a conclusion |105 |
|after examining several sources | |
|4.2f Using PowerPoint for plausible reconstruction |106 |
|4.2g Using desktop publishing software to study propaganda |107 |
|4.2h Using the Learning Curve Online Exhibition authoring tools |109 |
|4.3 The Learning Curve Reference Chapter |111 |
|4.3a Glossary |111 |
|4.3b References |113 |
|4.3c Websites |114 |
|5. Index |116 |
Welcome to the Teacher's Booklet
The Learning Curve Teacher's Booklet is intended as a guide. The aim of it
is for you to get the maximum from the Learning Curve, whether you are a
student or a teacher. The Learning Curve has: . An impressive collection of source material in electronic format
. A range of fantastic ideas on what to do with this material in the
classroom
. Guidance on using the power of Information and Communications Technology
to help learners work with the raw material of history Go to the relevant section of this booklet to find out more 1. What is the Learning Curve?
An introduction to the Learning Curve which explains the philosophy of
the site in terms of making the best use of sources, teaching ideas and
new technology. 2. What's in the Learning Curve?
A summary of the resources on the site along with an explanation of the
thinking about sources and teaching and learning which underpin the
resources. 3. Learning with the Learning Curve
Analysis of the planning issues and processes which can help make the use
of the Learning Curve a success, and some case studies involving the use
of Learning Curve resources. 4. Techniques, tools and technology
A look at the ways in which good electronic resources simply complement
good teaching methodology. 1.Welcome to the Learning Curve 1.1 What is the Learning Curve?
The Learning Curve is a website, but we hope that you find it to be a lot
more than that. The aim of the Learning Curve is to be nothing less than an electronic
field trip to whichever area of the past you are studying. We cannot take
you back in time, but we can take you to an archive which will give you and
your students a glimpse of what people thought, felt and said at the time
of some of the most important events in world history. [pic]
A British government poster designed to help people protect themselves
against nuclear attack. See this in the Cold War exhibition.
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/coldwar The Learning Curve is also an electronic study room. Imagine your students
thumbing through Domesday Book or looking at the minutes of government
meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Now imagine them doing this with
the help of questions and structured activities, which make use of the
expertise of archivists who know about documents and sources, and teachers
who know about learning. 1.2 The Learning Curve: Introduction and aims
It may sound a bit conceited, but the aim of the Learning Curve is to
revolutionise history teaching! How is this to be achieved? Primarily, by providing the history teacher and
learner with a vast range of material, ideas and tools which will help them
develop their own understanding of key events, developments and concepts. The overarching philosophy of the Learning Curve is to combine four
priceless assets: 1. Sources
The magnificent collection of sources in The National Archives (more
detail on this in section 1.2a) 2. Archival expertise
The expertise of the curators and archivists in The National Archives
which unlocks the meaning of the most impenetrable records for the
historian (more detail on this in section 1.2b) 3. Educational expertise
The expertise of the teachers who turn that expert knowledge into
stimulating activities which learners enjoy (more detail on this in
section 1.2c) 4. Cutting edge technology
The technology to get all of this information and expertise out of The
National Archives and into your computer via the Internet (more detail on
this in section 1.2d). 1.2a Sources
The Learning Curve presents a huge range of primary sources, which would
otherwise be difficult to access. Modern textbooks often include source
material but they cannot reproduce the feel of the original. They have to
be abridged, retyped or amended to fit the layout of the textbook page.
Above all, the purpose of sources in textbooks is generally to enhance and
support the text. In the Learning Curve, you will get as close as is
possible to the documents in the raw. You will see the originals as they
were - often on tatty bits of paper in spidery handwriting. Don't panic! The Learning Curve provides a lot of help and support to get
the most from this raw material of history, as you can see from the other
links in this section. However, let's start by looking at what there is and how valuable it can
be.
Sources from different periods The sources on the Learning Curve range from the Domesday Book of 1087 to
documents relating to the nuclear disarmament treaties of the 1970s.
Imagine the difficulty of trying to access this source material through a
'normal' archive.
Different types of sources As well as the range of period, there is a vast range of different types of
sources. These are carefully chosen. First and foremost, the sources are
chosen for the light they shed on a particular historical issue and their
value to a particular historical enquiry. However, almost as much
consideration is given to how the sources will intrigue and appeal to
learners. Included in The National Archives vast collection of official
documents are such gems as: . Churchill's rude remarks about his ally General de Gaulle during World
War Two
. Details about how Henry V